Letter to the editor: Make your voice heard this week

Posted

After 10 years, it's finally back! South Carolina's state Senate has announced their redistricting committee, and that committee is traveling around the state. For those who may not know, every 10 years (after the Census is conducted), South Carolina has to redraw all of their election district boundaries in response to population shifts. This means that who your elected officials are and who you vote for can change drastically.

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about gerrymandering and how we can't let politicians choose their voters, and they are right! A healthy democracy requires citizen input and making sure that people hold their elected officials accountable. If we don't, then our elected officials will try to make their districts and races uncompetitive in an attempt to ensure victory before anyone has cast a vote.

If you want to make your voice heard and be part of the process, the Senate Committee will be in meeting to discuss Sumter on the following dates:

- Tuesday, July 27

6:30 p.m. in Room 105 of the Gressette Building

1101 Pendleton St., Columbia, SC 29201

- Wednesday, July 28

6:30 p.m. in M401 Seminar Room at Central Carolina Technical College

506 N. Guignard Drive, Sumter, SC 29150

KEVIN ECKERT

Sumter